Carbon Cycle Flashcards
(54 cards)
Name some long term carbon stores
Sedimentary rocks,
Short term stores
Terrestrial soil
Oceanic surface
Atmosphere
Terrestrial ecosystem
How does the carbon cycle operate to maintain planetary health
Food webs
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Name the main processs which moves carbon from stores in the carbon cycle
Photosynthesis
Death and sinking
Weathering and erosion
Decomposition
Wildfire
Compaction
Respiration
Volcanic eruption
Oceanic diffusion
The slow carbon cycle
The proceses which have moved carbon around the world for billions of years
Name some slow cycle processes
The subduction of plates which release carbon through eruptions
The sinking and compaction of sea organisms creating new seabed and rock
The weathering and erosion of rock on the earths surface
The creation of underground hydrocarbons
What is shale
Shale is a fine grated sedimentary rock formed as a result of the compaction of clay, silt, mud and organic matter over time
Some shales mix with kerogen mixing with material forming oil and gas shale
What is limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate and is an example of carbon between hydro and lithosphere
How is coal formed
Before dinosaurs many giant plants died in swamps in the Carboniferous period
Over millions of years the plants were buried under water and dirt
Heat and pressure turned the dead plants into coal
Where does oil and gas tend to be formed
Formed from marine rather than vegetation over millions of years the organic material is compressed and the pressure eventually creates oil and gas
How does weathering and erosion effect the carbon cycle
Chemical erosion between air and rock or landforms such as glaciers creating pressure and therefore abrading the land
Chemical weathering involves the slow breakdown of rock through interaction with rainfall and the carbon inside can be washed into water systems
What is the terrestrial carbon cycle
The fast carbon cycle refers to the processes which moves carbon around the living world often on the surface or the atmosphere
The role of the carbon sinks o. The surface of the earth
The physical pump of the oceans
The biological pump of the oceans
Biological pump
These move carbon dioxide from the ocean surface to the marine plants called phytoplankton through photosynthesis
This effectively converts carbon dioxide into food for zooplankton and their predators
Most of the carbon dioxide taken up by the phytoplankton is recycled near the surface
Physical pumps
These move carbon compounds to different parts of the ocean in downwelling and upwelling currents
Downwelling occurs in parts of the ocean where cold denser water sinks
These currents bring dissolved carbon dioxide down to the deep ocean
Once there it stayes there for hundreds of years
Eventually these deep ocean currents become part of the thermohaline currents
And return to the ocean surface In warm upwellings
Carbonate pumps
These form when sediments from dead organisms fall to the ocean floor
Especially the herd shells and skeletons as these are rich in calcium carbonate
What are some alternative fossil fuels
Tar sands
Shale gas
Deep sea drilling
What are tar/oil sands
A lot closer to the surface than conventional oil
Less than 100 meters deep
In thin layers and multiple layers
How are oil sands extracted
Top soil is removed
The oil sands is extracted
Then crushed and mixed with water
The bitumen floats to the top
The waste water is called tailings
What are pros of oil sands
Allows for economic growth and activity
Allows country’s to have there own source
Continue to use fossil fuel technology
Allows energy economies to continue
What are cons of oil sand
Land scaring
Removal of fertile top soil
Tailings damages wildlife
Still are very carbon intensive process
Decouple of energy and fossil fuels
